Suture anchor installation tool

Abstract

A new and improved suture anchor of the sort adapted to anchor an intermediate portion of a piece of conventional suture in bone, and a new and improved installation tool for deploying the same, said installation tool being adapted to releasably hold at least one curved needle which is attached to said piece of conventional suture.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A suture anchor installation tool for deploying a suture anchor of the sort comprising (a) a coupling member, (b) at least one barb, said barb having a first end and a second end and being curved in its normal unstressed state and being capable of being elastically deformed to a substantially straight configuration, said barb being attached to said coupling member so that said second end of said barb is substantially displaced from said coupling member when said barb is in its normal unstressed state but is capable of being aligned with said coupling member when said barb is deformed to a substantially straight length, and (c) attachment means for attaching a portion of a piece of conventional suture to said suture anchor, said suture anchor installation tool comprising a first body portion and a second body portion,   said first body portion having a first end and a second end, said first end of said first body portion being hollow and having a slot extending from said first end of said first body portion towards said second end of said first body portion, said first end of said first body portion being sized to accommodate a portion of said coupling member, and said slot being sized to accommodate said barb of said suture anchor, and   said second body portion having a first end and a second end, said second body portion having a hollow interior and an opening leading to said hollow interior, said hollow interior being sized to accommodate an intermediate portion of a suture attached to the suture anchor, and said opening being sized to accommodate at least one cross-section of said suture, with said second end of said first body portion being joined to said first end of said second body portion,   said second body portion further including needle receiving means for receiving at least one surgical needle attached to said suture in an outer surface of said second body portion, and   said second body portion further including needle covering means for selectively covering and uncovering said needle receiving means.   
     
     
       2. A suture anchor installation tool according to claim 1 wherein said needle covering means is adapted to fit about the exterior of said second body portion and is adapted to move between a first position wherein said needle covering means covers said needle receiving means and a second position wherein said needle covering means does not cover said needle receiving means. 
     
     
       3. A suture anchor installation tool according to claim 2 wherein said needle covering means is adapted to slidably move about the exterior of said second body portion between said first and second positions. 
     
     
       4. A suture anchor installation tool according to claim 3 further comprising first stop means for releasably holding said needle covering means in said first position and second stop means for releasably holding said needle covering means in said second position. 
     
     
       5. A suture anchor installation tool according to claim 2 wherein said needle covering means comprises a snap cover mounted to said second body portion by a hinge. 
     
     
       6. A suture anchor installation tool according to claim 1 wherein said needle receiving means comprises at least one arcuate groove formed in said outer surface of said second body portion, and needle holding means for releasably holding at least one needle in said needle receiving means. 
     
     
       7. A suture anchor installation tool according to claim 6 wherein said needle holding means comprises at least one flexible finger intruding into said at least one arcuate groove and adapted to releasably engage a needle received in said at least one arcuate groove. 
     
     
       8. A suture anchor system for anchoring a piece of conventional suture in bone, said system comprising: a suture having a pair of ends and an intermediate portion disposed therebetween;   a suture anchor comprising: (a) a coupling member,   (b) at least one barb, said barb having a first end and a second end and being curved in its normal unstressed state and being capable of being elastically deformed to a substantially straight configuration, said barb being attached to said coupling member so that said second end of said barb is substantially displaced from said coupling member when said barb is in its normal unstressed state but is capable of being aligned with said coupling member when said barb is deformed to a substantially straight length, and   (c) attachment means for attaching said suture to said suture anchor so as to leave at least one end of said suture free of said suture anchor;     said suture being attached to said attachment means so as to leave at least one end of said suture free of said suture anchor;   at least one surgical needle attached to said at least one free end of said suture;   a suture anchor installation tool comprising a first body portion and a second body portion, said first body portion having a first end and a second end, said first end of said first body portion being hollow and having a slot extending from said first end of said first body portion towards said second end of said first body portion, said first end of said first body portion being sized to accommodate a portion of said coupling member, and said slot being sized to accommodate said barb of said suture anchor, and   said second body portion having a first end and a second end, said second body portion having a hollow interior and an opening leading to said hollow interior, said hollow interior being sized to accommodate said intermediate portion of said suture, and said opening being sized to accommodate at least one cross-section of said suture, with said second end of said first body portion being joined to said first end of said second body portion,   said second body portion further including needle receiving means for receiving said at least one surgical needle in an outer surface of said second body portion, and   said second body portion further including needle covering means for selectively covering and uncovering said at least one surgical needle received in said needle receiving means,     said suture anchor being attached to said first end of said first body portion by fitting a portion of said coupling member into said first end of said first body portion and by fitting said barb of said suture anchor into said slot so that said barb extends away from said first end of said first body portion, through said slot, with said intermediate portion of said suture being stored within said hollow interior and said at least one surgical needle being stored in said needle receiving means and being selectively covered or uncovered by said needle covering means.   
     
     
       9. A system according to claim 8 wherein said needle covering means is adapted to fit about the exterior of said second body portion and is adapted to move between a first position wherein said needle covering means covers said at least one needle stored in said needle receiving means and a second position wherein said needle covering means does not cover said at least one needle stored in said needle receiving means. 
     
     
       10. A system according to claim 9 wherein said needle covering means is adapted to slidably move about the exterior of said second body portion between said first and second positions. 
     
     
       11. A system according to claim 10 further comprising first stop means for releasably holding said needle covering means in said first position and second stop means for releasably holding said needle covering means in said second position. 
     
     
       12. A system according to claim 9 wherein said needle covering means comprises a snap cover mounted to said second body portion by a hinge. 
     
     
       13. A system according to claim 8 wherein said needle receiving means comprises at least one arcuate groove formed in said outer surface of said second body portion, and needle holding means for releasably holding said at least one needle in said needle receiving means. 
     
     
       14. A system according to claim 13 wherein said needle holding means comprises at least one flexible finger intruding into said at least one arcuate groove and adapted to releasably engage said needle received in said at least one arcuate groove. 
     
     
       15. A method for anchoring a piece of conventional suture in bone, said method comprising the steps of: (1) providing a suture anchor system comprising:   a suture having a pair of ends and an intermediate portion disposed therebetween:   a suture anchor comprising: (a) a coupling member,   (b) at least one barb, said barb having a first end and a second end and being curved in its normal unstressed state and being capable of being elastically deformed to a substantially straight configuration, said barb being attached to said coupling member so that said second end of said barb is substantially displaced from said coupling member when said barb is in its normal unstressed state but is capable of being aligned with said coupling member when said barb is deformed to a substantially straight length, and   (c) attachment means for attaching said suture to said suture anchor so as to leave at least one end of said suture free of said suture anchor;     said suture being attached to said attachment means so as to leave at least one end of said suture free of said suture anchor;   at least one surgical needle attached to said at least one free end of said suture;   a suture anchor installation tool comprising a first body portion and a second body portion, said first body portion having a first end and a second end, said first end of said first body portion being hollow and having a slot extending from said first end of said first body portion towards said second end of said first body portion, said first end of said first body portion being sized to accommodate a portion of said coupling member, and said slot being sized to accommodate said barb of said suture anchor, and   said second body portion having a first end and a second end, said second body portion having a hollow interior and an opening leading to said hollow interior, said hollow interior being sized to accommodate said intermediate portion of said suture, and said opening being sized to accommodate at least one cross-section of said suture, with said second end of said first body portion being joined to said first end of said second body portion,   said second body portion further including needle receiving means for receiving said at least one surgical needle in an outer surface of said second body portion, and   said second body portion further including needle covering means for selectively covering and uncovering said at least one surgical needle received in said needle receiving means,     said suture anchor being attached to said first end of said first body portion by fitting a portion of said coupling member into said first end of said first body portion and by fitting said barb of said suture anchor into said slot so that said barb extends away from said first end of said first body portion, through said slot, with said intermediate portion of said suture being stored within said hollow interior and said at least one surgical needle being stored in said needle receiving means and being covered by said needle covering means;   (2) forming a hole in a bone which is to have said suture attached to it;   (3) inserting said first end of said installation tool and said suture anchor into said hole in said bone;   (4) withdrawing said installation tool from said hole in said bone, leaving said suture anchor disposed in said hole and said suture attached to said bone;   (5) manipulating said needle covering means so as to expose said at least one needle received in said needle receiving means; and   (6) removing said at least one needle from said needle receiving means.   
     
     
       16. A method according to claim 15 wherein said needle covering means is adapted to fit about the exterior of said second body portion and is adapted to move between a first position wherein said needle covering means covers said at least one needle stored in said needle receiving means and a second position wherein said needle covering means does not cover said at least one needle stored in said needle receiving means. 
     
     
       17. A method according to claim 16 wherein said needle covering means is adapted to slidably move about the exterior of said second body portion between said first and second positions. 
     
     
       18. A method according to claim 17 further comprising first stop means for releasably holding said needle covering means in said first position and second stop means for releasably holding said needle covering means in said second position. 
     
     
       19. A method according to claim 16 wherein said needle covering means comprises a snap cover mounted to said second body portion by a hinge. 
     
     
       20. A method according to claim 15 wherein said needle receiving means comprises at least one arcuate groove formed in said outer surface of said second body portion, and needle holding means for releasably holding said at least one needle in said needle receiving means. 
     
     
       21. A method according to claim 20 wherein said needle holding means comprises at least one flexible finger intruding into said at least one arcuate groove and adapted to releasably engage said needle received in said at least one arcuate groove.